Kendrick Lamar Unveils ‘Not Like Us’ Music Video
Earlier this month, Kendrick Lamar released the highly anticipated music video for his track “Not Like Us,” captivating audiences with its cultural commentary.
The video opens with a compelling rap verse, setting the tone for a visual journey that intertwines symbolism and pointed messages. Lamar begins the video with lyrics from an unreleased track before the opening line, “I see dead people.” Features Tommy the Clown dressed in clown-inspired attire with rainbow colors and a giant afro. Lamar is then seen in a classroom-like setting, surrounded by Tommy the Clown’s dance crew wearing white T-shirts with 90’s style spray-painted, “Not Like Us.”
The video transitions to Lamar in a jail cell-esque room, rapping, “Say, Drake, I hear you like ’em young. You better not ever go to cell block one,” while doing pushups on cinder blocks, eliciting a visual response to Drake’s “Push Ups” diss track against Lamar and the hypothetical imprisonment of the Candian rapper. The feud between the rappers intensified when revealed in diss tracks “Ozempic rumors and height shaming to sobering allegations of abuse and grooming,” states USA Today.
The beat intensifies with the lyrics, “Wop, wop, wop. That’ll f*ck ’em up,” Lamar is shown beating a piñata owl, an apparent jab at Drake’s OVO Sound mascot and company, with a disclaimer noting no “Ovhoes” were harmed. In the Compton rapper’s diss tracks against Drake, he doesn’t stop with him, making thought-provoking claims against Drake’s OVO crew. Chubbs, PartyNextDoor, and Baka Not Nice receive individual and poignant jabs in the single.
Directed by Kendrick Lamar and record producer, Dave Free, the video has received praise for its rich visuals and cultural commentary; the following scenes highlight Lamar driving around the West Coast of Los Angeles; Lamar continues to critique Drake with lines like “Why you trollin’ like a b*tch? Ain’t you tired?” A dedicated scene of Lamar playing hopscotch as the camera pans while he raps the crowd-pleasing lines, “Tryna strike a chord, and it’s probably A-Minor.”
“Not Like Us” has many name drops within the track, most being accusation and accusatory; K-dot does mention names in praise or defense. NBA star DeMar DeRozan is one, while award-winning tennis player Serena Williams is another. Once on the Toronto Raptors, DeRozan was traded back to the United States in 2018, joining the San Antonio Spurs, hence the lines, “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither.”
William’s shout-out appeared in defense of the Grand Slam champion. As the entirety of the diss track is targeted at Drake, the lines “From Alondra down to Central, nigga better not speak on Serena” come to be meant for the “For All The Dogs” rapper as well. Drake hasn’t responded or acknowledged Lamar’s top-charting diss track yet, however, Williams has. “I love that song. It’s like the hit of the summer,” she shares at the ESSENCE Festival, “When they play that jam, I’m jamming. That jam is jamming.”
The video concludes with a black-and-white scene of Lamar with Whitney Alford and their children, followed by a dark room where he comes face-to-face with an owl in a cage. He walks away, leaving the owl staring at the viewer until the screen fades to black. Lamar’s heavy and apparent disses against Drakes clearly indicate who is victorious between the two.
With over 35 million views, “Not Like Us” solidifies Lamar’s standing as a cultural icon, blending art, music, and storytelling into a compelling narrative. From its debut performance in Pop Out: Ken and Friends to its music video release, “Not Like Us” has quickly become a popular and catchy summer hit, resonating with fans through its visionary lyrics and literal symbolism.
You can watch the “Not Like Us” music video below.
